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26 Aug ALL ABOUT BETTA FISH TAIL ROT | SPLIT TAIL | TAIL BITING

ALL ABOUT BETTA FISH TAIL ROT | SPLIT TAIL | TAIL BITING

During one of our water changes, our Golden Betta Fish (pictured above) got stuck in one of our filters which completely shredded his tail and as result developed a bacterial infection. If you are dealing with a similar situation, Betta Fish tail rot, or split tail and you are not sure what to do, then you are in the right place.

RELAX

Relax. Self-guilt won’t help. Accidents do happen and we can only try our best to avoid them. The good news is bacterial infections are treatable, tails do grow back, and tail rot generally won’t pose a big risk unless they are NOT treated on time!

SHOCK TREATMENT RELIEF

Bettas are smart animals and they will be under stress after a traumatic event such as this one.

Lower water levels to the minimum just enough so your Betta can go up for air.

Add Indian Almond Leaves (3” squares per gallon) or at the minimum Street Coat Reliever. Learn more about benefits of Indian Almond Leaves HERE.

Cover the tank with a towel in complete darkness and let them rest for 24hrs.

WE MEDICATE. WE ERADICATE.

Our to go medication to treat any type of bacterial infection is, Kanaplex! Unfortunately Seachem products are hard to come by at local pet stores but they do have them available for sale on Amazon and if you have Amazon Prime, then look no further! Even if you don’t need it right away, it should be part of any emergency kit!

TAIL TRIMMING

We don’t condone tail trimming unless it’s to help improve or speed up their healing process. Tail trimming helps promote a faster and more uniform tail growth thus improving their quality of life. We will be posting photos of his progress regularly until he is listed for adoption.

Keep in mind tail trimming must be performed by experts

OTHER REASONS CAUSING FIN ROT OR SPLIT FINS

REGULAR WATER CHANGES

There’s really not much to say in this section. Other than, keep in mind these are living animals. Keep up with water changes, give them a decent tank size, don’t overfeed, or overcrow their tanks with other fish/crustaceans. Keep their homes as clean as you would keep yours.

TAIL BITING; WHY THEY DO IT?

Most tail biting will occur during shipping. In the darkness, Bettas will confuse their long tails as strange object and will end up biting themselves.

Other reasons could be from seeing other Bettas next to them, their own reflection, or from hormones in their water for when other Bettas are kept together in the same tank with a division.

CUTE DECORATIONS, EH?

When purchasing Aquatic Decorations, we recommend you avoid anything with sharp edges that could cause your Betta fins to rip.

We recommend a more natural environment for any aquatic fish with live plans, rocks, and driftwood to mimic their environment as closely as possible as what they would experience in the real world. Simply Google Aquascape for ideas and your tank could turn into a master piece worth looking at.

THE INFECTION KEEPS COMING BACK! WHAT TO DO?

Betta fry is usually treated with hormones and antibiotics and as they grow regular doses of antibiotics just won’t cut it anymore.

As mentioned previously, our to go medication for any antibacterial disease is Kanaplex. Their recommended dose has worked on about 95% of our Bettas but we have had cases in which infections didn’t disappear until we tripled their recommended dose. As you increment and complete each treatment, check for any signs of stress.